One of the best aspects of the online gaming biz is how it offers such a broad palette of gaming experiences and forms. In this expansive category you have everything from Tetris online to World of Warcraft. And how cool is that broad range from a marketing standpoint.
Because of the growing costs of producing good games of all forms, gaming companies are looking to marketers and advertisers to both foot some of the bill and enrich the realism of gaming experiences.
One of the companies in the space that really intrigues me is Challenge Games, a start-up focused on free online games with short learning curve.
No, I am not talking about stuff like Bejewelled but rather games that take some of the most appealing aspects of core online games and simplifies them down to their most fun and entertaining essences.
Here’s how Challenge describes itself:
Challenge Games was founded in 2006 with the mission of creating online, short-form games that are challenging, fun and easy to play whether you're a serious or casual gamer. The big idea was to create cool games that can be played in 3-10 minute time increments anytime, from anywhere. While many of today's popular online games, like World of Warcraft and Everquest, allow players to explore vast fantasy worlds, they require huge time commitments and are considered "monogamous" in nature, because they take hours to play. The games created by Challenge Games provide "quick-fix" entertainment for both the hardcore and casual gamer alike. As an added benefit, although the games are multiplayer in nature, players can participate in the action when it's convenient for them.
By making the games asynchronous (e.g., turn based rather than real time) players can jump in and out of them as they have the time and inclination to participate.
A really good example of this is their first title, Duels. Visit the Duels web site and you are going to see characters and motifs very reminiscent of MMORPGs like Warcraft and Eve. But instead, the play of Duels is simpler and can be participated in in short bursts of time, while still being multiplayer. Here’s how Duels describes itself:
Duels is a new kind of strategy game. A free, player vs. player (PVP) fantasy role playing game, Duels allows you to control your own destiny as you combine the detailed character building and advancement of massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs) with the strategic and collectible elements of collectible card games (CCGs).
Because of the growing costs of producing good games of all forms, gaming companies are looking to marketers and advertisers to both foot some of the bill and enrich the realism of gaming experiences.
One of the companies in the space that really intrigues me is Challenge Games, a start-up focused on free online games with short learning curve.
No, I am not talking about stuff like Bejewelled but rather games that take some of the most appealing aspects of core online games and simplifies them down to their most fun and entertaining essences.
Here’s how Challenge describes itself:
Challenge Games was founded in 2006 with the mission of creating online, short-form games that are challenging, fun and easy to play whether you're a serious or casual gamer. The big idea was to create cool games that can be played in 3-10 minute time increments anytime, from anywhere. While many of today's popular online games, like World of Warcraft and Everquest, allow players to explore vast fantasy worlds, they require huge time commitments and are considered "monogamous" in nature, because they take hours to play. The games created by Challenge Games provide "quick-fix" entertainment for both the hardcore and casual gamer alike. As an added benefit, although the games are multiplayer in nature, players can participate in the action when it's convenient for them.
By making the games asynchronous (e.g., turn based rather than real time) players can jump in and out of them as they have the time and inclination to participate.
A really good example of this is their first title, Duels. Visit the Duels web site and you are going to see characters and motifs very reminiscent of MMORPGs like Warcraft and Eve. But instead, the play of Duels is simpler and can be participated in in short bursts of time, while still being multiplayer. Here’s how Duels describes itself:
Duels is a new kind of strategy game. A free, player vs. player (PVP) fantasy role playing game, Duels allows you to control your own destiny as you combine the detailed character building and advancement of massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs) with the strategic and collectible elements of collectible card games (CCGs).
The tantalizing thing about Duels, though, is that it's a short-form, asynchronous game. You can jump in and play in 10-30 minute intervals and still advance your gameplay. You control everything about the game with the luxury of playing when you have time. This makes you the master of Duels, not the other way around.
Once you sign up, it's your job to create your avatar combining the perfect selection of attributes, skills, battle experience and equipment needed to best your opponents in head-to-head combat.
You can also buy equipment, including packs containing random useful loot. This comes in handy when you want to trade and sell other players. You never know what people will covet.
With each duel, you get to further customize your special abilities and collectible items. The rewards you gain from winning a duel can be used to win gold and tokens, as well as to increase your physical and mental attributes.
While I am not an RPGer, I love the idea of broadening this genre to more people and more playing situations. I mean, the universe of people willing to sacrifice their offline lives for 10 hours a day of Warcraft really and truly is finite, and this format helps expand it while also offering some of the essential gaming aspects of classic RPGs so as to appeal to the gaming core as well.
Now, naturally Challenge also offers less “hard core” gaming experiences, but this model of creating depth of experience with shallowness of time commitment has, I think, a huge potential.
Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to write.
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